Why the negotiations Merkel and Poroshenko met by a bombing in the Donbass

Why the negotiations Merkel and Poroshenko met by a bombing in the Donbass

31.01.2017

Talks between Angela Merkel and Petro Poroshenko in Berlin started at the sound of cannon fire in the Donbass. This obviously spoiled the mood of the leaders: Poroshenko invitation to visit Ukraine kantslerin said restrained rebuke about the situation in Eastern Ukraine: “We learned that the regime of silence no, people are dying.” Indeed, the terrible news come in the last days of the Donbass. Ukrainian security forces blew up a railway track leading to the Luhansk people’s Republic, renewed fighting broke out in the DPR. Around Avdiivka industrial zone there are casualties on both sides, killed and the civilian population: the shells fly in residential neighborhoods Makeyevka and Donetsk, and the Ukrainian Avdeevka. Therefore right before important negotiations broke down, the peace process and resumed fighting? Who is to blame? This question of “MK” asked the Ukrainian political scientist.

Photo: Denis Grigoryuk

Kost BONDARENKO, the Director of Fund “Ukrainian policy”:

– Escalation in the Donbass is a consequence of the activation of the “war party” in Ukraine. It was announced by the Chairman of the Council for national security and defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov. He, without coordinating its position with the President and other authorities, stated that “we are preparing for a total blockade of Donbass”. A consequence of this statement was that intensified various so-called activists, who began to take the initiative. They blocked the railroad tracks, and when they began to push — that blew up the rails. It is unlikely that such provocative behavior Turchynov go unnoticed. Therefore, waiting for the reaction.

And at the same time began an intensification of action around the Town. Who’s to blame — I do not understand. Each side suggests that only answered to the provocation of the opposite. Donetsk accuses the Ukrainian side and Vice versa. It is clear that there are many forces that do not obey neither the Ukrainian leadership nor the DNI, and act as they see necessary. So the truth is somewhere in between, but you can’t ignore the pattern: such actions tend to aktiviziruyutsya on the eve of important internationalnegotiations. In this case, the clashes intensified on the eve of the meeting of Poroshenko and Merkel.

– Do you think that the intensification of hostilities in the Donbass does not come from the President of Ukraine?

– I believe that it is unprofitable. If he controlled all of the battle group, it would not allow them to be proactive these days. Because it can have painful consequences for the government and hinders communication with other heads of state.

– Simultaneously with the aggravation of fighting began another invasion of Russian language in Ukraine. These events can be connected?

– There is no invasion and the attempts to ban Russian language. Thirty-three member of Parliament introduced a bill on restrictions on Russian language. Of these, 27 come from Western regions. They need to report to their constituents that they at least did something. In the economic plane to do nothing is possible, people live worse, and they need at least something to show. The theme of restrictions on the Russian language in these regions might sound like winning. But this is pure PR. The chance that this bill be adopted by Parliament — just zero. But the fuss over it raised big political dividends can be extracted.

Ukraine refer to the information that the new US administration lost interest in the problems of Kyiv and Washington will cease to pay them attention still?

– As to what must inevitably happen. Ukraine can not be a priority for the United States indefinitely. The theme of the Crimea will be for Washington trompowsky era peripheral, not the main in the dialogue with Moscow. But finally it will be possible to speak in a few months when the administration in Washington is completed.

– What is the attitude in Ukraine to the statements of a number of legislators and Ministers about the need to close my eyes on the Crimea, if there is a desire to return to the Donbass?

– It sounds a long time. But in order to understand whether this formula is working, you need to ensure that the issue of Crimea and the problem of Donbass are closely related. However, there is a version that is two completely different stories.